Discovery of Ask1 inhibitors for the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain

Only one in four patients with chronic neuropathic pain gets meaningful relief from existing drugs, which often cause debilitating side effects. This project aims to turn a newly discovered enzyme blocker—targeting Ask1—into a drug ready for human trials. The problem is that current treatments for nerve pain caused by injury, disease, or medical treatments work poorly for most people. The underlying biology of nerve sensitisation has been poorly understood, limiting drug development. This research exploits a recent fundamental discovery that the Ask1 signalling pathway drives that sensitisation. If successful, Ask1 inhibitors could provide safer, more effective pain relief that works alongside existing analgesics. That would directly improve quality of life for millions of patients who currently cycle through inadequate options. It would also reduce the economic burden of chronic pain on healthcare systems and lost productivity—a major cost to the UK and other nations. This is applied drug development, not curiosity-driven science. The project sponsors the specific chemistry and preclinical work needed to turn the original biological finding into a testable drug candidate.